Instagram LEAKED Horizontal Scrolling (and People HATED it)﻿

Instagram leaked a NEW beta testing feature! Wolf Millionaire reviews & explains all the new features.

Instagram accidentally leaked (to millions of people) a major navigation feature they have been secretly testing.

Instead of the current vertical scrolling (up-down) this new feature that rolled out had us now horizontally scrolling (left-right) through our Instagram feed posts just like we are used of doing with our Instagram Stories.

The new feature accidentally leaked to wayyyyy more users than was scheduled (or was it???) — KICKING off an instant SHIT STORM of bitching from it’s users across multiple social media platforms (Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, Snapchat) which ultimately lead Instagram to swiftly pull the plug on the new feature they were testing!

Instagram head Adam Mosseri stated on twitter that the layout update was meant to be “a small test” that “went broader than we anticipated.”

But an Instagram rep blamed “a bug” for the for the unwelcome appearance of the interface change.

Reactions to the test on social media were overwhelmingly negative as many users described the new horizontal tapping feature as a step backward compared with vertical scrolling.

Even the Instagram OFFICIAL Twitter account had the following to say:

SO WHICH WAS IT? A BUG OR A NEW FEATURE???

I’m going to predict that horizontal scrolling will become a NEW feature we see in 2019 for good!

Looking at the upcoming changes in detail:

Stories will be easier to access by swiping down the bar instead of scrolling all the way to the top of your feed.

The horizontal layout seems only to affect the main feed turning all posts into Instagram Stories like feed. Tapping to advance and a scrolling bar at the top to show you the progress through your feed post updates that you haven’t seen yet.

As you tap into a user’s profile, the layout will appear in the usual, vertical scrolling style to view the photos/videos of their account.

With the horizontal feed, it’s becoming harder to quickly scroll through your feed for updates. While screenshots of posts will become less cluttered, and comments will be much more prominent, ads will take up the entire screen as only one single post can be viewed at a time.

The actual change to a users fingers

This update will mostly benefit big brands (and Instagram’s advertising earnings) because in this format of content consumption, more time is spent viewing a post by Instagram’s 1 Billion monthly users. Instagram already knows this thanks to the data they have amased split testing the regular FEED & Instagram Stories. Instagram Stories horizontal scroll has been a success since they stole the idea from Snapchat.

If you’re selling products on Instagram or if you’re planning to start an Instagram business, this new interface update is a chance for you to get your profile noticed by a broader audience and grow your sales by promoting your top performing posts as Instagram ads.

I’ve hinted at changes like this coming all year throughout the blog, as Instagram aggressively shifts more in the direction of helping advertisers boost ROI while ensuring healthy revenue growth for Instagram (Facebook). It’s always about the money. Don’t forget that. Don’t let that Zuckerberg smirk fool you.

I’m curious what your thoughts are. If you’re an advertiser, or potential advertiser in the future, do you like potential shifts like this?

And as an Instagram user, I’m also wondering whether you like, dislike (or hate) this change and what it means for your experience with the app.

Let me know in the comments below.

Anthony

P.S.—To stay on top of every single change Instagram makes, what it means for both end users and those looking to monetize the app… and, most importantly, how to leverage these changes to grow and prosper—I highly recommend checking out my new coaching program! DM me if you’d like to know more!